Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis An illness caused due to infection by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. A sexually transmitted infection caused by a parasite. An infectious disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.Toxoplasmosis
Trichomoniasis
Chagas Disease
Can horses get infected by opossums?
Recent investigation indicates that opossum feces (definitive host) are the source of the infection for horses. Opossums acquire the infection by eating infected birds (intermediate host). Most infections would come from contaminated pasture, hay, grain, and water with opossum feces.
Do possums transmit diseases to other animals?
Diseases Opossums Transmit To Other Animals. Coccidiosis is another condition transmitted by feces, which often causes problems such as diarrhea for domestic animals as they are often inquisitive about the feces of other animals if it is found within their territory.
What is EPM disease in horses?
This serious disease can be difficult to diagnose because its signs often mimic other health problems in the horse and signs can range from mild to severe. More than 50 percent of all horses in the United States may have been exposed to the organism that causes EPM. The causative organism is a protozoal parasite called Sarcocystis neurona.
What kind of health problems do opossums have?
Particularly prevalent in small animals such as rabbits and hares along with opossums is Tularemia, which can lead to several problems including respiratory problems, glandular issues and even ulcers appearing on the body.
Can horses get sick from possums?
Answer: The disease is equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, or EPM, and is transmitted from opossums to horses when they eat or drink where infected opossums have defecated. The organism responsible for EPM is a parasite, Sarcocystis neurona, a protozoan or microscopic single-cell organism.
What disease do opossums carry that kills horses?
Sarcocystis neurona is the causative agent of a neurological disease, known as EPG (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis), in horses, especially in the Americas. The definitive host for this coccidian parasite is the opossum. Horses contract the disease from sporocysts spread by roaming opossums.
Do possums infect horses?
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurologic disease in horses caused by infection with the protozoan Sarcocystis neurona (SN). SN infects horses when they ingest the organism in contaminated feed or water. The definitive host of this organism is the opossum, which passes the organism in its feces.
Can a horse completely recover from EPM?
If left undiagnosed and untreated, EPM can cause devastating and lasting neurological deficits. The success rate for treated horses is high. Many will improve and a smaller percentage will recover completely, but 10-20% of cases may relapse within two years.
Is possum poop toxic to horses?
Opossums can transmit Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) to horses. It is caused by a protozoal parasite whose eggs are shed in opossum feces. Infected animals show various signs of illness, including symptoms of central nervous system disease.
What are the first signs of EPM in horses?
Owners frequently notice obscure lameness, stumbling and incoordination. If the brain stem is involved, usually a head tilt is present. Clinical signs may include: Ataxia (incoordination) and weakness: Generally centered in the rear limbs, symptoms worsen when the head is elevated, or the horse moves up or down slopes.
Is EPM fatal in horses?
EPM is defined as a progressive, degenerative disease, which means as time passes, the inflammation can become widespread and the damage can increase in severity. Once affected, the function of the tissues in the central nervous system may continue to deteriorate. EPM in horses can be fatal.
How do I keep possums away from my horse?
When possible, avoid feeding horses from the group and clean up spilled feed immediately to deter attracting wildlife and rodents. The presence of opossums on a farm poses an increased risk. 2. Clean your water tank often and always provide fresh, clean water.
How much does it cost to treat EPM in horses?
$800-$1000). Horses that recover can still encounter temporary or permanent deficits. It is estimated that up to 30% of horses treated may experience relapse, likely due to the lack of immune support during and post treatment.
Are horses with EPM in pain?
Horses that are suffering from EPM will also be painful around the occiput and atlas, due to the inflammation going on in the spinal cord. If you have the horse walk and have someone walk behind them and pull them by the tail off to one side, they will be unable to right themselves.
What do you do with a horse with EPM?
There are two treatment options for EPM.A six-month course of antibiotic (trimethoprim-sulfonamide) and antiprotozoal agent (pyrimethamine).A 28-day course of antiprotozoal (ponazuril). Horses may need a second round of ponazuril in some cases. This is the only FDA-approved treatment for EPM.
Is EPM contagious from horse to horse?
The disease is not transmitted from horse to horse. Rather, the protozoa are spread by the definitive host, the opossum, which acquires the organism from cats, raccoons, skunks and armadillos and possibly even from harbor seals and sea otters.
Can humans get EPM?
Yes. People can get sarcocystosis. They acquire the disease by ingesting (oral) the protozoan, most common- ly through undercooked meat prod- ucts. Disease in humans can involve either intestinal infection or muscular invasion by the parasite.
Is EPM in horses contagious?
No, EPM is not contagious. A horse with EPM is considered a “dead-end” host. They do not pass EPM on to other horses or other animals.
Do all possums carry EPM?
Believe it or not, opossums don't naturally carry the EPM parasite, but actually ingest it when eating decaying cats, skunks, and raccoons, which are key hosts for one phase of the parasite's life cycle.
How does a horse get EPM?
EPM is a neurologic disease that horses get from eating infected opossum feces. Incoordination, muscle atrophy and loss of feeling around the body are a few signs of illness. Keep your horses healthy by storing grain in sealed bins and controlling opossum populations around your barn.
How do opossums get infections?
Opossums acquire the infection by eating infected birds (intermediate host). Most infections would come from contaminated pasture, hay, grain, and water with opossum feces. Contamination of feed and water with opossum feces may occur indirectly through other mechanisms such as birds and insects. Relocation of opossums away from horses, water, ...
How to tell if a horse has EPM?
Clinical signs of the disease include weakness, malposition of a limb, muscle atrophy, spinal ataxia or “wobbling,” head tilt with asymmetry of the face (eyelid, ear, lip). A severely EPM-affected horse may be down and unable to rise. Lameness not traceable to orthopedic disease or any combination of the above signs may occur in early ...
What is EPM in horses?
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a debilitating neurologic disease of horses. It can affect the brain, brainstem, spinal cord or any combination of these three areas of the central nervous system (CNS). The disease may present itself with a variety of different clinical signs, dependent on the location of the damage caused by ...
What is the most useful test for a horse?
Cerebrospinal fluid testing by Western blot is the most useful test to assist in the diagnosis of this disease in the live horse. The presence of these antibodies in the CSF of horses with neurologic signs usually indicates active disease. However, if blood contaminates the CSF sample, a false positive test may result.
How do you know if a horse is choked?
In most cases, affected horses are bright and alert with a normal appetite, although some horses are dysphagic (unable to eat) and may act as if they are choked, with feed material coming from their nose. Hematological and biochemical blood values are usually in the normal range.
What is the diagnosis of EPM?
Diagnosis: Diagnosis of EPM is based on clinical signs and on testing of the horse’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A positive serum test cannot be used to make a diagnosis, but simply indicates exposure to the parasite.
What happens if a horse's DNA test is negative?
If the test is negative, and the horse is exhibiting clinical signs, the horse may still have the disease. In some cases, a second test (PCR) may be able to detect very small amounts of parasite DNA (parts of the parasite’s genetic makeup) and may assist in the diagnosis. The PCR is considered most useful as a research tool.
Is EPM an epidemic?
The disease is not an epidemic, however, because most horses are apparently able to control the infection. It would seem that there is a small subpopulation of horses that are susceptible to the disease. Unfortunately, we don’t understand what factor (s) make horses more likely to progress to full-blown EPM when exposed to the parasite.
Can opossums transmit EPM?
Opossums are the culprits that transmit the causative parasite of EPM to horses. Dr. Dan Howe of the University of Kentucky recommends making an effort to keep them out of the barn and away from the food and water supplies.
How to prevent protozoal infections in horses?
Measures such as feeding horses in feeders and not on the ground, maintaining separate fresh water sources, preventing wildlife access to areas where horses are housed, properly disposing of animal carcasses, keeping feed rooms and containers closed and cleaning up dropped grain can help reduce protozoal infections.
What is the most common cause of neurologic disease in horses?
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is considered the most prevalent cause of neurologic disease of horses in the Americas. The range of the opossum, the definitive host of S. neurona, defines the geographic range of clinical EPM in horses. In areas where the opossum is common, approximately 50% of horses are seropositive ...
What is the cause of myeloencephalitis in horses?
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is caused by infection of the central nervous system with the protozoan parasites Sarcocystis neurona and, less commonly, Neospora hughesi. It is often a progressively debilitating disease and can affect any part of the nervous system, from the front of the cerebrum to the end of the spinal cord.
What are the symptoms of EPM due to N. hughesi?
hughesi can have a wide range of clinical signs, including hind limb ataxia and hind limb weakness that progress to more generalized weakness and recumbency.
What does a positive blood test for EPM mean?
A positive blood test only determines that the horse has been exposed to the parasite and does not mean that the horse will develop clinical signs or that the neurological deficits are caused by the protozoal parasite. There is currently no gold standard for EPM diagnostic testing other than necropsy.
How many horses have antibodies to S. neurona?
Although it detects the presence of S. neurona-specific antibodies in the serum or CSF, approximately 30% to 60% of clinically normal horses in many parts of the United States have antibodies to S. neurona without having EPM.
How many horses are seropositive?
In areas where the opossum is common, approximately 50% of horses are seropositive (have antibodies to the parasite in the blood), indicating exposure to the organism. Opossums shed the infective sporocysts (egg-like stages of development) in their feces.
What diseases can opossums carry?
There are many different types of diseases that are carried by opossums that can be transmitted to people, and those transmitted through urine and feces are often the most easy to catch, such as leptospirosis, which has flu like symptoms for most people, but can cause kidney damage, ...
What are the concerns of opossums?
Opossum Diseases - One of the important concerns that many people will have if they come into contact with a wild animal is whether or not they could catch a disease, and how the disease can be transmitted.
How to deal with an opossum?
When it comes to dealing with an opossum that is becoming a problem, the best option is to trap the animal and either to kill it humanely or to relocate it if your state's rules allow such relocation.
What is the immune system of an opossum?
One of the most interesting aspects of an opossum's biology is that the body temperature of the animal is significantly lower than that of many other species, and what this means in practical terms is that it is quite resistant to many different types of diseases.
Can opossums cause diarrhea?
Salmonella is a condition that is largely believed to be related to food poisoning, but can also be transmitted by opossums, and while it causes diarrhea for most people, the elderly and young children may find themselves at risk of more severe symptoms, with reactive arthritis one possible side effect.
What is the disease that is found in the feces and urine of many different types of small animals?
Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is a disease that is found in the feces and urine of many different types of small animals, and is usually encountered when people are cleaning up after an opossum infestation.
What is the most serious disease?
A high fever is one of the main symptoms of the disease being present in people, although it can also include an ulcer, while pneumonic tularemia is the most serious variety and effects can include difficulty breathing and severe chest pain. Salmonella.
Can EPM cause liver problems?
The spores of the disease are released when the feces is disturbed, and it can cause liver problems, meningitis and even death in a small number of cases. While EPM is not a condition that can affect people, it is certainly of concern to those who have horses as it can have some serious effects on the animals.
Do opossums carry bacteria?
Opossums as a species are not particularly prone to carrying bacteria in the same way other pest animals such as rats, as the biology of the animal includes a body temperature that is significantly lower than other species. However, there are plenty of conditions that can be carried, and are sometimes transmitted by opossums to people ...
What causes EPM in horses?
The causative organism is a protozoal parasite called Sarcocystis neurona. The disease is not transmitted from horse to horse.
Why are horses at risk?
Due to the transport of horses and feedstuffs from one part of the country to another, almost all horses are at risk. Not all horses exposed to the protozoan Sarcocystis neurona will develop the disease and show clinical signs of EPM.
What is EPM in horses?
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a master of disguise. This serious disease can be difficult to diagnose because its signs often mimic other health problems in the horse and signs can range from mild to severe. More than 50 percent of all horses in the United States may have been exposed to the organism that causes EPM.
What percentage of horses are at risk for EPM?
EPM causes clinical disease in approximately one percent of exposed horses. Almost every part of the country has reported cases of EPM. However, the incidence of disease is much lower in the western United States, especially in regions with small opossum populations. Due to the transport of horses and feedstuffs from one part of the country to another, almost all horses are at risk.
How does EPM affect horses?
The onset of the disease may be slow or sudden. If left undiagnosed and untreated, EPM can cause devastating and lasting neurological damage.
Why is EPM difficult to diagnose?
Diagnosis of EPM is difficult to make because there is no specific assay for this disease and because clinical signs of EPM mimic other neurological diseases. Your veterinarian will first conduct a thorough physical examination to assess your horse's general health and identify any suspicious signs. One notable clue is the disease often tends ...
How are protozoa spread?
Rather, the protozoa are spread by the definitive host, the opossum, which acquires the organism from cats, raccoons, skunks and armadillos and possibly even from harbor seals and sea otters. The infective stage of the organism (the sporocysts) is passed in the opossum's feces.
